Giving Thanks

In a book I am reading, the central thought is about giving thanks. One of the themes she carries throughout the book is that giving thanks always precedes the miracle. This seems to be true for things like turning the water into wine and especially feeding the many with a few loaves of bread and some fish. What strikes me most are the not so obvious miracles that take place after giving thanks. One such miracle is the opening of the eyes of the men who walked unknowingly with the resurrected Christ.

When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from [j]their sight.

When Jesus gave thanks then the miracle happened. They saw who he really was. When we give thanks for those around us we begin to see them differently. Our perspective is different when the framework is one of thankfulness rather than our usual perspective of viewing the world as if we stand in the center of it. It is hard to be thankful for something which we don’t value. The boy with the small amount of food on the hillside valued what he had enough to think that it would make a difference somehow. Jesus received what the boy valued and gave thanks and somehow it was enough. If we are thankful then it is most always enough. If we are not thankful then most often it is not enough.

Filling Emptiness

We live looking searching
To fill the emptiness of birth
Finally grasping something of substance
Pouring in to fill us
As it seeps thru our hearts
Leaving as it came
The holes of emptiness are bigger still